Help Households Create a More Affordable, Resilient Grid
Virginia’s state government has placed a renewed focus on distributed energy resources and affordable electricity. For utilities, this means engaging customers around a whole suite of energy efficiency and Distributed Energy Resource (DER) technologies that make home energy use a two-way street instead of the traditional one-way consumption system. Home batteries of all shapes and sizes, smart electric panels, EV charging management software, and smart water heaters are just some of the products enabling the next wave of grid flexibility. If implemented at scale these technologies help Virginia’s electric utilities shift load from the busiest times of day (~5-7pm) to times when there is more available capacity on the grid (1-4pm).
These products don’t just magically appear in homes, however. Customers must be engaged, educated, and incentivized to make purchases that will lower their energy bills over the long term. While utilities do offer incentives, those rebates or credits are set by complicated regulatory processes. Typical customer engagement programs around the U.S. see low single-digit enrollment rates, with the most successful programs in the high teens.
At the Dominion Energy Innovation Center (DEIC) we work with the world’s best energy tech entrepreneurs to identify solutions that can benefit Virginia’s grid. Our flagship program, DEIC Accelerate, helps 7-8 companies a year engage with Dominion Energy and others to develop and deploy new technologies. DEIC wants to explore what kinds of programs and technologies could help customers better engage with their utility in a more efficient and distributed resource world. What could help raise awareness, find the right technology fit, and assist in funding home or small business projects? How can we make the explosion in home electrification technologies relevant and approachable from a consumer perspective?
Learn more about the Dominion Energy Innovation Center at www.dominnovation.com.